Legal Question in Criminal Law in New York

Aiding and Abbetting / Knowledge of a Crime

A person has been assualted. Was struck violently on the head with a glass bottle and then received three near-fatal stab wounds. Victim lives. The assailent claiming self defence admits stiking the head of & stabbing the victim once with fragment of the glass bottle .

Testimony of 2 people - speaking to me and not questioned by any authority - claim to have witnesed the assault, saw no other person invovled and saw a weapon used for two of the 3 stabbings. Charges have not been filed, and law enforcement agency is giving victim little cooperation.

In a casual conversation at a public establishment an individual tells me that the mother of the assailent ''has the knife.'' To our knowledge law enfrocement does not have this information. Nor based on the only police report available, did the assailent or his mother tell police of any weapon.

QUESTION: Assuming the basis of this summary - witensses' testimony of assailent's action, assailent not forethcoming in his statement, assailent's mother harboring weapon, assailent's mother not telling law enforcement - what legal ramifications if any exist on my respopsniobility to report information AND is the mother in this senerio subject to obstruction-of-justice charge?


Asked on 1/22/06, 9:41 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Valerie Masters Valerie Masters, P.A.

Re: Aiding and Abbetting / Knowledge of a Crime

Maybe accessory after the fact which is a misdemeanor. She did not aid and she has not obstructed anything. There is also no proof she has knowledge of anything.

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Answered on 1/22/06, 3:16 pm


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